University Technology Conference Helps Southern Miss Stay Connected

With technology evolving at warp speed, staying abreast of current trends is crucial to the professionals who work in related fields. Especially those involved with higher education.

And that resolve was reflected by the impressive turnout for the Association of University Technology Managers Central Region Meeting held July 17-19 in Indianapolis. Attendance and sponsorship were both significantly higher than in years past.

Chase Kasper, director of the Office of Technology Development at The University of Southern Mississippi, lead a team that coordinated the meeting. Kasper notes that AUTM represents the standard-bearer in the university technology transfer profession.

“Southern Miss benefits from AUTM involvement by staying current on best practices in university technology transfer,” said Kasper. “Equally as important, Southern Miss has direct input on topics at a regional and national level that are relevant to the faculty and staff of the University's research enterprise.”

Kasper currently serves as assistant vice-president of the AUTM Central Region. An AUTM member since 2005, he is also a current member of the Sponsorship Committee and served as Program Co-Chair in 2011 and 2012.

In the United States, AUTM is divided into three regions: Eastern, Central and Western. The State of Mississippi is part of the Central Region, which is comprised of 19 states.

The meeting also saw strong industry presence that included upper management from businesses such as Eli Lilly & Company (pharma); Dow Chemical Company (chemicals); Elanco U.S. (animal health and wellness); BioCrossroads (life sciences) and Cook Medical (medical device manufacturer).

“I am delighted about Southern Miss' strong involvement with AUTM,” said Dr. Gordon Cannon, Vice Provost for Research at Southern Miss. “Chase has done a great job showcasing our technology development capabilities, and I believe this will generate many new opportunities for our faculty and students as we go forward.”

Kasper will serve as the coordinator for next year's AUTM conference to be held in St. Louis, Mo.

The Association of University Technology Managers is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting, supporting and enhancing the global academic technology transfer profession through internal and external education, training and communications. AUTM's more than 3,000 members represent managers of intellectual property from more than 300 universities, research institutions and teaching hospitals as well as numerous businesses and government organizations.